Essex explosion live: Inferno after huge blast as 100 firefighters tackle flames

Essex explosion live: Inferno after huge blast as 100 firefighters tackle flames More than 100 firefighters are tackling a massive fire at a farm off Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon in Essex A massive explosion at a farm in Essex has shaken buildings up to 15 miles away, with footage showing a huge fireball erupting from the site. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said more than 100 firefighters worked to tackle a blaze involving industrial units at a farm off Southend Road, between East Hanningfield and Rettendon, near Chelmsford, on Friday evening. The blaze, which is understood to be at Highlands Farm, has been declared a major incident due to its size. Around 50 firefighters will remain at the scene overnight and into the morning. Police have cordoned off a large area around the site. "If you live or are travelling nearby, please continue to keep your windows and doors closed," the fire service said. "Please avoid the area while we deal with this incident." Key Events Footage shared on social media show vast destruction from the explosion. A huge plume of dark grey smoke could be seen rising into the sky. Aerial footage shared by news outlet Al Jazeera showed a large area on fire. Burnt vehicles and structures can be seen among the remains. Area manager Dave Bond said in a video late on Friday: "As you can see behind me, we're still dealing with significant spots of fire. However, we do have this incident under control and surrounded. "We're in the process of scaling back, but we do still have 50 firefighters on scene. We're still working closely with our partners, including police, ambulance, utility companies, and we also have a number of specialist advisers on scene, giving us support as we move through the night. "The incident will be ongoing into the weekend, so please stay away from the area and allow us to continue operations. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused, and we thank you for your patience. "The advice we're still giving to the public is that if you do smell smoke, then close your doors and windows. But please bear with us as we continue our operations to extinguish the fire." Area Manager Dave Bond has said an investigation into the blaze will be conducted. Bond said: "There will be a thorough investigation carried out to find the cause of the fire." Residents in the East Hanningfield area have received an alert warning them about low water pressure in their area as a result of the incident. It reads: “Due to the fire brigade carrying out emergency work in the area you may experience low pressure for the rest of the evening. An update will be provided in the morning. Thanks for your patience.” Taz, a popular Mediterranean and Turkish restaurant, located on Main Road, Rettendon Common, has issued a statement. It reads: "Unfortunately, due to a major incident in Rettendon, Main Road has been closed in both directions. As a result we have made the difficult decision to close for this evening. Our thoughts are with everyone involved and we truly hope that everyone is safe and receiving the care they need. "Thank you for your understanding and continued support. We hope to welcome you back very soon." Essex Fire Service has provided an update on X: "Around 50 firefighters remain on scene working alongside specialist officers and advisors to put the remains of the fire out in sections." The post continued with a message from area manager, Dave Bond. Bond said: "We expect to be here throughout the night and tomorrow. Keep your doors and windows closed as a precaution." Around 50 firefighters remain at the scene, working alongside specialist officers and advisers to tackle the remaining fire. In an update at 10.45pm, Area Manager Dave Bond said: "We expect to be here throughout the night and into tomorrow. "There will still be visible smoke from the site overnight, but the current wind direction is in our favour and is drifting up away from homes. "If in doubt, you can smell it, keep your doors and windows closed as a precaution. There will be a thorough investigation carried out to find the cause of the fire." Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it is now scaling down its response to 50 firefighters across 10 crews. It said around 100 firefighters worked together to put out a "significant fire involving industrial units" at a farm in East Hanningfield. In an update, Area Manager Dave Bond said: "This is a significant fire, but we have it under control and there is no wider risk to members of the public. A number of industrial units have caught alight, as well as a field, and crews have been working to prevent the fire spreading to nearby houses. "While on the scene, fertiliser inside one of the units exploded and residents across the county have reported hearing and feeling it. This is why we declared a major incident, and I want to reassure our residents that there is no wider risk to the public at this time. "Everybody at the scene is safe. Residents nearby have been evacuated while we put the fire out, and Southend Road is currently closed to allow us more space to work safely. "We expect to be at the scene throughout the night. It is producing lots of smoke so we recommended keeping your windows and doors shut if you live nearby. Roads will remain closed - please avoid the area and thanks for your patience." According to the incident log on Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's website, the first report of a fire at an industrial unit off Southend Road was received at 4.50pm. Around an hour later, residents across parts of Essex reported hearing an explosion. Area Manager Dave Bond said in a video update shared on Facebook that the fire has been declared a major incident due to its size. He said: "We do believe that we've got the fire surrounded now, but we ask for the public's patience while we extinguish the fire and bring the incident to a close." Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has declared the fire a major incident due to its size. Area Manager Dave Bond said in a video update that there is still "significant smoke" coming from the fire. The fire service has urged people to avoid the area. The explosion occurred at Highlands Farm, a rural commercial and industrial business park off Southend Road. Aerial images suggest the fire is affecting multiple buildings and vehicles on the site. People across Essex and even on the Thames Estuary have reported seeing smoke billowing from the inferno off Southend Road. A clearer image of the scene taken from above shows there are multiple pockets of flames. Locals have praised fire crews for their quick response to the blaze at an industrial unit on Southend Road in Essex. One person wrote on X that crews drove past their road "within minutes of the sonic boom". Essex Police has yet to issue a statement on its response to the large fire at an industrial unit on Southend Road. Steven Whan, 58, from Bicknacre, near Danbury, told the BBC: "The police have blocked off everything. You can't get nowhere near it." Like others, he described hearing his house shake and his doorbell go off. "I thought it was a sonic boom because we've experienced that before," he said. If you're just joining us, more than 100 firefighters are tackling a large fire at an industrial unit on Southend Road, near Chelmsford, in Essex. The explosion shook buildings across the area, with residents reporting they felt the blast from miles away. Timothy Benstead, from the Galleywood area of Chelmsford, told the BBC: "I heard the windows shake and my youngest son asked why the floor shook that he was sitting on at the time." More than 100 firefighters are working to extinguish the fire at an industrial unit on Southend Road. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said in an update: "Please continue to avoid area, and keep your windows and doors closed if you live nearby." East of England Ambulance Service has said it is responding to a "significant incident". People have shared videos on X showing the explosion at an industrial unit on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon. Warning: The video at the bottom contains strong language. Adrian Walker, 46, from Ashingdon, told the BBC: "The ground shook, buildings shook, windows rattled, birds flew off - and I am 15 miles away. "I've never heard anything like it. At first, I thought it was the MoD [Ministry of Defence] in Shoeburyness trying out some new ordnance, but it was heard and felt for miles around." David Harris, from nearby Rayleigh, told the broadcaster it was "like someone had dropped a pile of bricks" outside his window. The Mirror has contacted Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service for further information. A map shows Southend Road, where firefighters are tackling a large blaze at an industrial unit. The road is located between East Hanningfield and Rettendon, near Chelmsford in Essex. A large fire has broken out at an industrial unit on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon in Essex. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is urging people who live nearby to keep their windows and doors closed. A number of people across Essex have taken to X to say they heard the blast, with some reporting they felt it miles from the site on Southend Road. Responding to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's post on X, one person wrote: 'We heard this all the way in Hadleigh, Essex. Approximately 8.5 miles away." Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has said: "We’re currently at the scene of large industrial unit fire in Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon. If you live or are travelling nearby, please keep your windows and doors closed. Please avoid the area if you can."